SAFES hosts a series of talks to highlight Penn State's ongoing PFAS research/extension efforts and analytical lab capacity.
The talks will enable faculty across the university to engage with each other on the latest PFAS-related science and policy topics, including PFAS fate and transport in agroecosystems, toxicology and risks to human health from PFAS, and the potential for growing hemp as PFAS phytoremediation strategy. We hope to grow the community of PFAS researchers at Penn State and see many interdisciplinary partnerships emerge from these conversations. If you have questions about any of the talks or about the series in general, please send them to Aaron Cook (cook@psu.edu).
2025 Spring Semester
Title: Introduction to PFAS in Agricultural Systems
Faith Kibuye - Water Resources Extension Associate
Date/Time: Thursday, January 30, 2025,11:00am - 12:00pm
Location: 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building and Zoom
Recording: Intro to PFAS in Ag Systems.mp4
Links and other resources: Slides - Intro to PFAS in Ag Systems.pdf
Notes:
- Around 41:50, the question was "What about fluorinated pesticides as another source? I think recently several pesticides have been identified as containing PFAS compounds."
- Around 47:30, the question was "You talked briefly about the purging of PFAS from animals. How do they purge animals of PFAS, and how cost-effective is it?"
Title: PFAS Fate and Transport in Agroecosystems and Rural Water Supplies
Heather Preisendanz - Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Tamie Veith - Agricultural Engineer, USDA Agricultural Research Service
Date/Time: Thursday, February 27, 2025, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Location: 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building and Zoom
Recording: PFAS Fate and Transport.mp4
Links and other resources: Slides - PFAS Fate and Transport.pdf
Notes:
- Tamela Trussell (founder of Move Past Plastic) has been talking with NOAA about ways to identify where PFAS might be accumulating in sediment, looking at where runoff is occurring or where buffering is preventing sediment loads from entering waterways. If anyone is interested to talk more about setting up this type of testing and monitoring system, please get in touch with Tamela at movepastplastic@gmail.com.
Title: PFAS Toxicology and Human Health Risks
Jack Vanden Heuvel - Professor of Molecular Toxicology
Date/Time: Thursday, March 27, 2025, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Location: 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building
Recording: PFAS Toxicology and Human Health Risks.mp4
Links and other resources: Slides - PFAS Toxicology.pdf
Title: PFAS Crop Uptake and Phytoremediation
Daniela Carrijo - Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist for Grain Crop Production
Kelly Kosiarski - PhD student, Agricultural and Biological Engineering
Date/Time: Thursday, April 10, 2025, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Location: 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building
Recording: PFAS Crop Uptake and Phytoremediation.mp4
Notes:
- Kelly's portion begins at 0:00
- Daniela's portion begins at 13:15
- The questions/discussion portion begins at 32:00
Links and other resources:
- EPA Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (April 10, 2024)
- Penn State Living Filter Fact Sheet (2020)
- Ahrens et al. 2011 Wastewater treatment plant and landfills as sources of polyfluoroalkyl compounds to the atmosphere
- Mroczko et al. 2022 Spatiotemporal patterns of PFAS in water and crop tissue at a beneficial wastewater reuse site in central Pennsylvania
- Kosiarski et al. 2024 From wastewater to feed: Understanding per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances occurrence in wastewater-irrigated crops
- Adu et al. 2023 Bioavailability, phytotoxicity, and plant uptake of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS): A review
- Kowalczyk et al. 2013 Absorption, distribution, and milk secretion of the perfluoroalkyl acids PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS, and PFOA by dairy cows fed naturally contaminated feed
- Nassazzi et al. 2023 Phytoextraction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and the influence of supplements on the performance of short-rotation crops
Title: PFAS Analytical Capabilities at Penn State
Odette Mina - Managing Director of the Energy and Environmental Sustainability Laboratories
Hlengilizwe Nyoni - Assistant Research Professor, lead researcher in the Environmental Contaminants Analytical Laboratories
Date/Time: Thursday, April 24, 2025, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Location: 118 Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building
Recording: PFAS Analytical Capabilities at Penn State
Transcript with time stamps: PFAS Analytical Capabilities at Penn State.pdf
Notes:
- Odette's portion begins at 00:00
- Hlengilizwe's portion begins at 11:56
- Q&A begins at 45:44
